Dallas Stars Blog

Texas Tornado beat Corpus Christi, 4-3, on Friday to move to 27-10-1

Jackson Leef scored with 5:15 left in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie and helping the Texas Tornado to a 4-3 victory over the Corpus Christi IceRays on Friday. Brandon Platt, Louie Rowe, and Nick Blase all scored for the Tornado, as well, who move to 27-10-1 with their fifth straight victory. Texas managed just 20 shots on goal, while Tornado goaltender Hunter Leisner faced 26 shots, stopping 23 of them.

Leef’s goal came after a scramble in front created a loose puck at the hash marks. IceRays goaltender Ben Myers had all kinds of traffic in front of him, and was unable to stop the eventual game-winner goal from Leef as he rifled it home. The goal was Leef’s sixth of the season, though he’s averaging just over a point a game thanks to 33 assists (including one in Friday’s game).
The Tornado jumped out to an early lead when they scored three straight goals in the first. Platt’s goal was the opening marker of the game, and came at the 2:49 mark. After the Tornado won an extended puck battle along the boards, JT Paine fed the puck to Platt, who was just coming on to the ice. Platt cut to the slot and ripped a wrist shot past Myers to make it a 1-0 game.

Later in the first, CJ Reuschlein made a beautiful stickhandling manuever to get some space in the left circle before spotting Rowe out in front. The two E. Lansing, Michigan natives combined for a great goal and doubled the Tornado lead. Just two-and-a-half minutes later, Blase sent what looked to be an innocent wrist shot towards goal, but it slipped through Myers’s five-hole and gave the Tornado a 3-0 lead after one.

The IceRays took the second period by storm, however, and scored three of their own to tie the score. First, former Tornado defenseman Andrew Paras blasted a slapshot home from the top of the right circle to cut the Tornado lead to two. Later in the second, the IceRays scored two goals within 39 seconds to tie the score. First, Mike Economos redirected a Beau Walker pass past Leisner to make it a 3-2 game. Then, Leisner stopped a shot from Emil Romig, but was unable to keep the puck in his glove. Rudy Sulmonte was waiting at the doorstep to tie the score, and did just that with his 17th goal of the season.

Most of the third period was played scoreless, but Leef’s goal was the eventual game-winner and made it a 4-3 game. Both teams return to the ice on Saturday for a 7:05 contest from American Bank Center.